NEWS FOR WOMEN Guests For Wedding Of Young King Of Jordan

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 2

NEWS FOR WOMEN Guests For Wedding Of Young King Of Jordan

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

AMMAN (Jordan), April 17. King Faisal of Iraq, accompanied by Crown Prince Abdul Hlah and other members of the Hashemite Royal Family, arrived in Amman by air today to attend the wedding on Tuesday of King Hussein of Jordan, who is 19, and his 25-year-old cousin, Princess Dina Abdel Hamid.

King Faisal and Prince Hassan, Princess Dina’s uncle, will act as witnesses to the wedding ceremony, during which the young Royal couple will not meet.

Under Islamic law the bride remains out of the King’s sight and all women are barred from the chamber. The Princess will wear a dazzling £2OOO Venice-lace wedding gown, designed in Paris. Styled “the. Imperial,” it has long sleeves, a long train, and the veil is of the same material, topped by a jewelled crown.

The ceremony will take place in the red and white marble Zahran Palace, overlooking Amman. Afterwards the Royal couple will appear together at the nearby Basman Palace, the Royal residence, to receive greetings. According to custom, the bride will receive the King’s meher —“purchase money”—usually 25 grams of silver.

Diplomatic representatives from 23 Arab and foreign states bound by diplomatic relations with Jordan have been invited to the wedding, which, will be marked by three days of festivity, including air and military parades, and a fireworks display.

King Hussein first met his bride-to-be in 1952 when they were studying at different universities in England. He assumed the throne in 1952. Princess Dina took an honours degree at Girton College, Cambridge, and became the first Princess to qualify as a lecturer in English literature at Cairo University.